1

Margot wasn't popular. Now, on the Isle, some might say that's a good thing. If she never brought attention to herself, she would never have to maintain the level of evil power required to stay on top. In a way, she pitied the kids, like Evie, Carlos, and even Uma, who constantly had to keep up their reputations to have control over their turf. Not Mal, though, that girl thrived off of the chaos. Same thing with someone like Harry.

Margot, on the other hand, only did what she could to just barely get by. She didn't mind that the tears in her clothing were from poor quality and overuse rather than for a grungy fashion statement, even if her mother did insist that she look her best at all times.

Mother Gothel, as one might expect, wasn't the most loving mother. Despite having had a loving (if manipulative) relationship with Rapunzel, the woman found that her daughter didn't have much use for her, and was only kind when Margot fetched her many 'youth serums' or skincare. Or when plotting to capture Rapunzel once and for all and lock her away in darkness with little food or water.

This day was just the same as any other day in the household of Madam Gothel. For now, at least. Margot had managed to snatch another skincare potion for her mother, as usual.

"Here you go, Mother. It's the best in the Isle, as always." The girl said quietly, making sure not to mumble.

"Ugh, finally! You keep me waiting too long, Margot, dear!" Gothel exclaimed with a dramatic grab at the vial. She waved her hand dismissively. "Now, it won't be any use if there's all this dust clogging my pores. How long has it been since you swept?"

Aware of her mother's keen eye on her, Margot bowed slightly. "Two days ago, ma'am. I'll fix it right now."

"What a good little girl. When you're done, fix up your own face. Of course, you'll never have as many men falling over you as me, but that pimple really is just embarrassing, dear." Every other word was emphasized in Gothel's usual tones, and, not for the first time, Margot really wished that, for once, Gothel's voice would have a different sound to it. Not her serious, terrifying voice, but a fond one like the one the girl had heard Mr Smee talking in to his boys. "Honestly, you'll ruin my reputation with looks like that, dearie." The singing voice hadn't left. No surprise there.

"Of course, Mother. I'll fix it."

The sweeping and dusting finished soon, followed by giving her mother a facial with the water she'd boiled that morning, then finally she had time to clean her own face. As she looked at the water in the sink, her nose scrunched at the brownish tint it held and she quickly put it in their pot on the stove.

She didn't have the time to wait until the water was fully cooled before she was frantically washing her face and trying to scrub it clean. It was still raw when her mother called her back into the room.

Subconsciously, Margot curved her back and lowered her face so that her hair would hide her face from her mother.

"For goodness sake, Margot, what are you doing?"

"I-" The girl had barely started mumbling when her mother was suddenly standing up and had her fingers digging into the back of her shoulder.

"Margot." Gothel's grey eyes were dead serious, and her falsely beautiful face was contorted in an ugly smirk. "What did I say about the mumbling? Not only that, but you're slouching too. You know how much I hate that." Some may have found it comical how her voice remained so dramatic even at times like this, accentuating every letter, but Margot was just focusing on not angering her even more as she could feel Gothel's nails breaking her skin, again. By now she had many crescent shaped scars, almost unnoticeable, along her shoulders and arms. "Now, look at what you've done. There's gonna be another scar on your young skin. Don't you want someone to find you attractive at some point?"

Margot nodded, trying not to seem meek. "Of course."

"Now then, why don't you stop wasting both our times over here and work on seducing that Jafar boy, hmm? There's no one better than the best thief in town to get you the beauty supplies you so desperately need, is there?" Gothel's eyes were like a cat's, watching her every movement.

"Of course Mother, I'll go do that."

When the woman finally let go, Margot started to leave, but her mother's voice stopped her.

"You can't possibly be thinking of going in those rags. Margot, dearie, you get your womanly body from me, you'll have to show it off if you want any chance at all." Somehow, the gentle hand on her shoulder now felt infinitely more terrifying than earlier.

Margot saw the outfit her mother reserved for her when she was told to go seduce someone, hating it as she stared at it. Dark red was her mother's signature colour, the colour of a lustful temptress, and the cut of the top didn't help the matters, being so low that if it were a few centimeters lower, there would be nothing left to hide.

The pants, though wide-legged, had slits all the way up the sides, so could really barely be called pants. It was just a waistband and two pieces of fabric that couldn't even give the illusion of modesty the second she started walking.

"Mother knows best, remember dear." The warning was clear in Gothel's words, so Margot swiftly changed and allowed her mother to put on the dark red lipstick and smoky eyeshadow that made her more mature than a 16-year-old should've been. Even her heavy, frizzy hair was pinned up to show off her neck (and hide the fact that it was a rat's nest).

It didn't take long for Margot to reach the VK's territory, though there was much unwanted touching along the way which she could do nothing but ignore, and soon afterwards, she ran into the group of four, led by Mal, in the middle of one of their rampages.

"Hey there, guys. Up to your usual mischief, huh?" Margot called out, forcing a mischievous tone into her voice.

"Gogo. I see your mother sent you." Mal replied, looking her up and down with a smirk. "Not that you can't pull off the look. It's almost impressive."

Then, an arm was suddenly around her shoulders, and a grinning, flirtatious face was inches from hers. "So, Gogo, who are we flirting with today? Your lips look absolutely delicious in that shade of red."

Finally, there was a real smile. If there was one person Margot could call a friend, it was Evie. The two girls had similarly vain mothers with obsessions with appearances, so it could easily be said they related to one another. "Well, Eve, I wish I could say you, however, it's your friend over there I've been sent to woo once again."

"Gogo!" Jay greeted, ruffling her hair. Well, maybe she could have two friends. Just maybe. "So, this getup's all for me? Aren't I lucky?"

Margot punched his shoulder gently. "You and the rest of the Isle. If you don't steal me some face lotion, it won't be for you at all, though."

"Jeez, why can't your mom just accept she's an old witch?" Jay snorted, and Margot cracked a grin subtly after looking around to make sure her mother wasn't near.

"And why can't your parents accept that their glory days are over?" The girl retorted, a smile playing on her lips.

Three of the four VKs snorted at that, though Mal managed to remain confidently stoic. Of all of them, she was the one who cared most about the 'glory days', and she would be the one who would drop everything to try to renew them if she ever got the chance.

Instead, Mal, for now, contented herself with stealing the candy from a baby. Honestly, it was a wonder the kid had candy at all, Margot had never tasted sugar since the one time she'd found a sweet and her mother had screamed at her that she was going to ruin her face.

The snickers fell quiet as they all watched Maleficent approach her daughter from behind.

"Stealing candy, Mal? I'm so disappointed." The horned woman tutted, and Margot was glad that she was somewhat blocked by Jay and Evie.

"It was from a baby." Mal clarified proudly.

"That's my nasty little girl." Mal gave Maleficent the lollipop and she spat on it and rubbed it under her underarm. "Give it back to the dreadful creature." Maleficent said as she held up the now soiled candy which was swiftly taken away from her. "It's the deeds, Mal, that make the difference between mean and truly evil. When I was your age, I was cursing entire kingdoms" Behind her back, Mal mouthed "Cursing entire kingdoms." Maleficent then turned around abruptly. "You. Walk with me. See, I'm just, just trying to teach you the thing that really counts... how to be me."

"I know that. And I'll do better." Mal reassured, for once looking innocent and wide-eyed. That only ever happened in front of her mother.

"Oh! There's news! I buried the lede. You four have been chosen to go to a different school... In Auradon." Maleficent announced wickedly. The three others tried to run away, leaving Margot in plain sight of the sorceress who scowled. "Right, and the tramp girl is going too. What a pleasant coincidence that she's here too!"

Everyone knew the parents of the VKs (aka Maleficent) didn't approve of Margot, a girl she considered to be much too soft to be truly evil. In Maleficent's words, "That girl is the type you keep as a loyal henchman, Mal. Not too close to annoy you or be of any importance, but amusing like the jester in a court. Like a maid. Or a pet."

Honestly, Margot would much rather be Mal's pet than whatever she was to her mother, at least the girl was fun and loyal, not that it was her favourite description of herself.

"What? I'm not going to some boarding school filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses!" Mal complained.

"And perfect princes!" Evie swooned, before shutting up when she noticed Mal's glare.

"Yeah, and I don't do uniforms. Unless It's leather. You feel me?" Jay added cockily, looking at Margot who rolled her eyes in response.

Carlos chimed in nervously, "I read somewhere that they allow dogs in Auradon. Mom said they're rabid pack animals who eat boys who don't behave."

"Yeah, Mom, we're not going."

"Oh, you're thinking small, pumpkin. It's all about world domination. KNUCKLEHEADS!" Maleficent's henchmen, 'knuckleheads', followed her switfly. "Mal..." The kids all followed, before Maleficent sniped, "Tramp girl! This is not something for you to hear." Margot nodded dutifully and waved goodbye to Evie subtly, before turning and heading home (making sure to steal some skincare on the way).

"Margot, dear! I've just heard the news." Gothel said sultrily. "So, you're going to Auradon, then?"

Margot nodded, her hands folded in front of her. "If you wish, Mother."

"What a good little daughter you are." The woman crooned. "Now, you will go to Auradon, you will find that Rapunzel girl, and you will bring her back here to me, you got it?"

"Um, Mother, I'm not sure it's possible to-" A loud slap cut off Margot's sentence and her eyes widened while her cheek throbbed in pain. Never had Gothel ever hit her in the face, it was too visible.

"Mumbling again, Margot. It seems I spoke too soon. Maybe you're not so good, but you still have the chance to do this." Gothel tutted as she saw the red handprint complete with a small scratch from her ring on Margot's face. "Ugh, now look what you've done. Your looks are your only decent feature, and now look at this. So much potential ruined by your attitude."

"My apologies, Mother."

Gothel sighed as if all the exhaustion in the world were suddenly upon her. "Just go before you give me stress lines."

Margot didn't want to risk grabbing anything from her room, so she just left the house and waited at the entrance to the bridge that would take her to Auradon later that day. There was no point in trying to force her way in with the VK's while Maleficent was there, it was better to just wait quietly alone.